Mick Patrick has always had a passion for aviation, both fixing it, and flying it. Having started in the RAF at Halton as an apprentice, he soon found himself on active service in Borneo, undertaking the frontline maintenance of military aircraft. On leaving the RAF, Mick qualified as a maintenance engineer on a number of the civil airliners of the 1970s, including various Boeings, the Canadair CL44, and the Britannia, among others. Mick started his career as a flight engineer on the CL44, flying for Transmeridian and Cyprus airways. Moving on to British Caledonian and British Airways, Mick gained experience on the DC10 and Boeing 707. In time, he gained his pilot’s wings on the Beech 200 King Air and began flying air ambulances. A further career ensued on the DC10 simulator as an instructor. Mick has also taught on such subjects as aviation security, the transportation of dangerous goods, and crew resource management. He is currently an IATA safety auditor. Mick has always been a keen private pilot and has owned two aircraft of his own.